He could hear her begin to stir in the other room from his spot at the dining table. He was reading through the paper, looking into the police logs for leads on new meals. He always had a few in the works to be certain there was one when he needed it, or if she did. Lately he has made a point to neglect her needs.
"Good morning" she grumbled on her way past him to the bathroom. He grunted in reply.
He still isn't acting quite right she thought. For the past few weeks, since the incident, he has been distant, unaffectionate. Am I pushing him away? Am I pushing him toward anything which would cause him to retaliate?
She was still thinking this on the way out of the bathroom and joining him at the table. She tried to sit in his lap to read the paper together as they oft did but he stood up as she approached. She sat in the other chair, trying not to look like she was dejected by his sudden move.
"See anyone there?" she gestured toward the paper. "I'm thirsty. I'll need to feed today."
"Nobody new." he replied dryly "You'll have to go on your own today, I have some errands to run." And he disappeared into the other room.
There's definitely something wrong here she thought sitting, rejected, and pouting. She followed him into their bedroom and found him slipping on his jacket and adjusting his tie.
"Are you okay?" she started.
"Fine" he replied "I'll see you later" And he was gone. Not a kiss or an 'I love you'.
He left her standing in her nightgown where she had hoped to confront him and get to the bottom of the issues between them. Without a response she was lost. She wasn't sure if she should wait for him to return to try to confront him again or just start her day and see him later. She wanted to chase him down the hall and demand to know what the problem was these last few weeks. She wanted to grab his arm and spin him around and make him stay there and talk it out, whatever the problem may be. She was certain that they could get to the bottom of it if he would just talk to her. Instead she headed for the shower, feeling as down as down can be.
Outside, away from her sight he sat in the truck. He was just sitting there with the engine running.
I feel lost here. It must be her decision to split or her pain will be too much to bear. I cannot inflict such upon her in an effort to make her safe. If she decides to leave me, her pain will be less.
If I leave her and tell her why she will never acquiesce. She will insist that together our strength will prove too much for any enemy. She will find a way to assuage my fears. She will convince me. And I will submit because I love her so. But she will never truly be safe while she is together with me. She must become neutral.
He drove away tears as he drove away. Imagining her inside feeling rejected by him hurt him as well as it did her. He knew that it would be a painful split, for both of them, but he had to appear indifferent for this ruse to work. He couldn't let her know the real reason for his attitude.
Even as he pushed back tears his thirst began to overtake him. He was feeling weak and lightheaded. He had not had any blood for days. He simply didn't want to drink. His depression over losing his love caused him to just plain forget. He just wasn't thirsty until he absolutely HAD to drink. So he set off for the desert to find an easy meal.
One wouldn't think of the Arizona desert as a place to find sustenance but it was a vibrant hunting ground. All he had to do was drive along the border to find suitable prey. As soon as the Border Patrol passed, they would spring up from every outcropping bush you could see. Border jumpers; running for the freedom of America, their first act on American soil to flaunt the laws of the nation in which they wished to live. Some of them were decent, hard working sorts and they could easily be picked out, but most were dangerous criminals. Gang members and drug dealers, gun runners and murderers.
This was indeed a rich hunting ground for Lanius. Not to mention the ample areas in which to dispose of the bodies.
He stopped his truck on a hill and looked out over the border. He could see the entire landscape from here. Red rock formations and hard pan sand as far as the eye can see. Sprig desert bushes and cacti scattered about. The moon was near full and cast substantial light. He saw the Border Patrol truck running along the dirt road beneath him, its headlights casting white light out ahead of it and a searchlight from the driver's side scanning the fence line. A mere minute after the truck passed, they began running.
Lanius swept down upon them with dire hunger. First he snatched one out of the back of an open Jeep. These were surely gun runners or drug dealers. He took off skyward and drank deeply, draining him in seconds. Dropping the bloodless corpse he swept back and took the other from the back of the same Jeep. Stopping this time, he drained this one just as quickly and felt his strength returning.
He then swept back into the Jeep and landed in the back seat. He leaned forward and drank from the passenger as the driver, surprised by the attack, swerved and nearly tipped the Jeep, coming to a screeching halt on the hard desert sands and flattening a cactus. The driver leapt from the Jeep and began to run but it was a laughable attempt. Lanius caught him and drank, more slowly this time, enjoying the taste of the blood rich in copper. He could tell by the rush he felt that they were running cocaine. He felt it in their blood.
He took the bodies to a small gully and dropped them into the dirt. The desert animals will strip them of meat by daylight and there will be naught but bones by the next evening. Feeling the rush of new blood, and not a little cocaine, Lanius rushed back to his truck. He would make the meeting as scheduled but only if he hurried.
Diana, meanwhile, had a shower and a long cry. She feared losing Lanius. He seemed more and more distant as the days dragged on. He was barely speaking to her now and they had not made love since before the incident.
She, too, had not been drinking enough and felt the draw of her thirst. Rather than hunt she went to the basement to feed on their back up stock.
She could hear them talking as she descended the stairs. She opened the heavy oak door and they hushed. She entered the basement area which was lined on both sides with pairs of cells. Each had a semi-private bath area, a cot and a television. Each cell was like a small efficiency apartment. There were two on either side of the room with a generous walkway between the two. Only two cells were occupied and they were across from each other.
To her right was a male of about 25 years. A Mexican border jumper and a drug mule. When they carried him across the border he had six condoms full of cocaine in his stomach. He was good looking but a little pudgy with jet black hair and brown eyes. He had a long, old scar down his left cheek. His brown skin was clear and he appeared well fed and healthy. They fed them generous amounts of vitamin rich foods to be sure their blood was of adequate nutrition for them.
To her left was a female of about 30 years. She was petite and rather beautiful. Rich, long black hair and pretty brown eyes. She had high cheekbones and a delicious smile. She was also a drug mule when they carried her from Mexico in the night. She was the newest of the two and still ate only a little of the food given her in protest to being caged. Diana assured her that she would be well taken care of but the woman was stubborn.
When she entered the room they both started, cowering to the back of their cages and crouching near their respective cots. Visibly frightened they were silent yet at heightened awareness.
Diana crossed the room and approached the young man. She entered his mind and calmed him. I am not here to kill you. It won't hurt much and will be over quickly. If you resist I will not hesitate to drain you completely of blood and feed your corpse to my dogs.
Her influence was upon him and he did not resist. Diana drank from him but not long. She didn't want to kill him.
She wanted to save him yet. She drank until she felt her strength return and then, reluctantly, pulled away. She could have easily drank them both dry and not fully satisfied her thirst but this was enough to stave off the light headedness and weakness.
She turned the key to the cell and the lock clicked. She then removed her influence from him. I told you that I would not kill you and I kept my word. You will be comfortable here if you continue to cooperate.
With a cautionary glare at the woman she was back up the stairs. That was enough to bring her strength but without a real meal she would feel the draw of the thirst again very soon.
`
Lanius entered the Hall feeling the cocaine in the blood he had drunk dissipate. He was glad to be rid of the feeling. It made him uneasy and jittery, like his teeth were wiggling in their sockets. He made his way down an ornate hallway lined with ancient marble gargoyles and columns. The sheer size of the hall was immense and there were several uniformed guards. An echo of every footstep followed him as he walked. It was such a familiar place to him he scarcely noticed anymore and shortly he entered a grand room. The walls were adorned with huge tapestries in between displays of ancient weapons and large paintings of former members of The Council engaged in various combats.
Everything there had an air of being ancient but was scrubbed clean often. In the center of the room a long table of sturdy oak with a thick layer of clear sealant and polyurethane and mirror polished showing the beauty of the wood. Surrounding the table were several teak cabinets holding weapons of old, ancient steel swords and axes gleaming between the patina of the centuries in the light of the ornate chandelier which hung, suspended above the central table surrounded by ornate chains, and displayed with reverence.
Seated along the edges of the table many old vampires talked amongst their groups. When Lanius entered their eyes followed him as they spoke quietly and they awaited him to take his place at the head of the table. As Chairman of the National Council of Vampires it was his voice that was the last heard on any subject.
Lanius took his seat and nodded to the vampire to his right. Oberon, the Sergeant at Arms, signaled the beginning of the meeting by striking a gavel.
"All those who have business with this Council will now be heard. Representatives have been granted five minutes each to be heard. The random order of appearance has been given to you all. Will the first Representative please rise."
Rising to his feet, a vampire about halfway down the table on Lanius' left spoke.
"Representing California, I, Kerberos, do address this Council. It has come to my attention that there has been an outcropping of many new vampires in the city of San Francisco who have been careless. The humans have reported sightings and many unsolved murders are being investigated. The human's efforts, while not yet bordering on dangerously close, are at the level of an intermittent nuisance. I hereby request of this Council permission to establish a task force to seek out these vampires and put an end to their careless ways by any means necessary."
He remained standing awaiting the first of what he was certain would be contradicting opinions. They did not share his urgency. Oberon spoke first.
"All those who have an opinion on this matter may now be recognized."
Directly across from Kerberos rose another vampire to speak. "I, Hickman, Representative of Nevada, do hereby request that such a task force be avoided. This outcropping is nothing that local magistrates cannot handle. And, should the Council disagree and order such a task force, I request that its mandate be strictly drawn. We are a not a dictatorship and
martial law shall not rule over us. Sending government task forces to eliminate citizens is the act of a despot."
To this Kerberos instantly snapped,
"I do not request martial law. Only to enforce the existing laws." His distaste for Hickman was thinly veiled. They had a long history of disputes.
"You wish to control the population through fear mongering and propaganda." Hickman retorted and was about to continue when Oberon hammered a gavel loudly and repeatedly.
"Gentlemen please! We shall have decorum in this chamber or you will be removed!" Silence followed. Hickman and Kerberos slowly sat down and all awaited what Lanius might have to say on the subject.
Knowing that they were awaiting his response, he sat calmly. After a moment of thought he asked
"Is there any other voice on the issue of San Francisco?" To this query only silence followed. Lanius sat thinking for several minutes. He did not want a task force of policemen trampling over citizens and making a big mess of a little situation. Finally, he came to a decision, he raised a hand to the objection of Kerberos before it could be issued as he spoke.
"I will not authorize a task force to trample over citizens in response to this issue." Kerberos' face sunk and he began to speak before seeing the hushing motion Lanius was making. He glanced at Hickman and hated his smirk.
"I will, however," Lanius continued " authorize an officer of this Council to investigate further and determine what action, if any, shall be required."
"And to whom will this officer report?" spat Kerberos in retort.
"Directly to me." Lanius replied shooting a glance at him that was a warning for his tone.
"It is well, then" Kerberos recovered, softening his tone immediately. "And when shall we expect report on this issue, my Lord?"
"I will give the officer 30 days to investigate. After that time he or she will report to me and I will then present the findings to this Council and either recommend action or inaction, accordingly."
They seemed to be satisfied with this course of action and the next issue was presented but Lanius could not concentrate fully on the proceedings. He had a funny feeling about the problems in San Francisco, and a hunch it was somehow connected to the incident with Diana, but did not want to show his concern in front of this Council just yet.
He decided that he would appoint Sarasoto, one of his oldest friends, as the officer in charge of the investigation. Sarasoto was a brute, but his tactics worked. If anyone could find the problem there, he could. Of course, he was just as likely to make it a bigger issue in the end by some rash action. Lanius would loop a leash upon him in the form of another old friend, Balor. A small framed, meticulous vampire who was apt to label the entire world before taking any action. The two will clash but in that clash will come the answers.
Having made this decision Lanius felt some relief and was again able to concentrate on matters at hand.
Another Representative was presenting an issue and he directed his attention to that.
~ ~ ~
Sarasoto sat in a small smoke filled back room. He stared across at the man who sat staring at him. He was on a flush draw. He needed a spade and it was his bet. He took a long hard look at Smitty, a man who had lived a hard 30 years making him look more like 45. He decided he was in. He would push Smitty right out of this game. He raised $500.
It was a tiny back room of a dive bar. The bar catered to the hardest of men. Bikers and other street toughs frequented the place. Shooting pool and drinking hard. The whole place was covered in a fine film of something dirty, the air itself stunk of crime. At the bar there were but two regulars waiting on last call. At the pool table two bikers were arguing over stakes and it looked like it might escalate. Sam, the owner/bartender, and an ex biker himself, watched them carefully in his peripheral. He thought he may soon have to take out The Persuader. A Louisville Slugger he kept under the bar for just such an occasion.
The back room had the same stink of crime plus cigars. Here Sarasoto played Texas Hold'em with some of the toughest humans he knew. He liked the rough ones. They kept him amused and he met more than enough who were worth making a meal out of. They never seemed to be missed when he took them. A perk of taking those who try to fly under the radar.
Four men sat around the small table littered with beer bottles and chips. Smitty sat directly across from Sarasoto. He was perhaps the hardest of the humans at the game. He is a gun runner and sometimes drug dealer. He had served time more than once and had plenty of jailhouse tats to show for it. Even the tell tale tear drop of someone who had killed. To his left, Sarasoto's right, sat Mike. A relatively clean biker. He liked the life but he had a real job. He worked at the docks on the night shift loading and unloading containers for the big ships. He rode a Harley but didn't run with the gangs. He had been involved in some B & E's and did a stint for beating a man who had hit a woman in a bar in front of him.
To Sarasoto's left was Nellie. Charles Nelson, a meth dealer who refused to do it. He did his share of coke and didn't function without weed in his system but he was afraid of meth. He had seen the effect it had on his customers and thought that he was ugly enough. He had done two stints for brawling but was never busted for drugs.
Smitty made the most imperceptible wince at Sarasoto's raise. He wouldn't let Sarasoto see it in him but he needed a six to complete his full house and there were two cards left to flip.
He called. The dealer flipped the turn. It was the nine of diamonds. No help, but he didn't think it helped Sarasoto either. Sarasoto raised again. Smitty thought that he was bluffing. He called immediately.
Sarasoto's heart rate was up. One last card, if it wasn't a spade he had nothing and he was into this hand for $5,000. Smitty knew he needed that six or he had a lousy two pair. The dealer flipped the River. The four of spades. Sarasoto had his flush but he wasn't sure if it had helped Smitty.
He decided to smoke him out, just bully him out of it. He went all in. He was now into the hand for about $12,000.
Smitty thought long and hard about this. He didn't think the four had helped Sarasoto either. He had a hunch Sarasoto was holding part of a straight and he didn't get it. So he was trying to buy his way out of the hand. He thought he had enough to call him, maybe just enough. He pushed his chips into the center of the table. "Call." He said in a gruff, low voice. "Flip-'em."
Sarasoto smiled and flipped his cards. Smitty never thought that he was on a flush draw. When he saw that he had rivered the flush he was irate.
"Damnit all to hell!" he yelled and threw his cards on the pile of chips. The other two men guffawed and Mike slapped him on the shoulder.
"What did you have Smitty? Did you think that you could bluff him?"
"No, dammit, I needed a six to make my full house and it didn't come." he replied grimly. He watched Sarasoto pull the pile of chips towards his side of the table longingly and sighed, then he began to stand.
"That's my whole pile, boys. I'm out."
"Don't go so soon, Smitty, you can buy back in" Sarasoto's voice was loud and booming in the tiny room and not lacking any good humor after the win he had just claimed.
"Fuck off." Smitty replied half kidding and made his way to the door.
"We'll see you next week, then? Chimed in Nellie as Smitty opened the door.
"Yeah yeah, you know I'll be here. See you guys." And then he was out the door. He made his way down the small hallway and past the bathrooms. The men's room door stood open and the stink poured out of it. A bleached piss smell that would never go away. As he passed he heard the man at the urinal pass a big fart. Charming he thought and headed to the bar.
"Let me have a jack and coke, will ya Sam?" he yelled over the loud heavy metal blaring from the jukebox. As he sat down the door opened. Lanius stepped in and was hit with the smell immediately. Stale beer, sweat and hard living. He wondered why Sarasoto bothered with these humans, but he knew he would find him here. He was always here. He headed for the bar to ask for him as he didn't see him.
"What'll you have?" asked Sam as Lanius approached the bar.
"I'm looking for Sarasoto. Is he here?"
"Who are you?" inquired Sam with an eyebrow up. "Are you a cop?"
"No just an old friend. Is he here?"
"He's out back." replied Sam, pointing to the hallway where the bathrooms were. "Just past the pisser."
Lanius headed down the hallway and winced at the smell of the bathrooms. God he hated places like this. He came to the door past the bathrooms and opened it.
As Sarasoto was facing the door he saw Lanius first.
"Lanius!? What are you doing in a hole like this? I never thought you'd be caught dead in this dive." The other two men eyed Lanius coolly. They weren't the trusting type and just because Sarasoto seemed to know this newcomer didn't mean they were pleased to see him. He looked too clean to be in a place like this. He had a glow about him, like he was too good for them.
"I'm looking for you, old friend, I need to talk with you."
"Well, I've taken enough money out of this game for tonight." Then speaking to Mike and Nellie, "What do you say we settle up boys?"
"Yeah why not? Hold on" Said Nellie as he turned for the poker kit to pack up the cards and chips.
"I'll be right out, get a drink?" Sarasoto asked of Lanius who agreed with a nod and disappeared behind the already closing door which Laius had never opened fully.
Sarasoto found Lanius at the bar without a drink in front of him. He approached and slapped him on the back.
"It's good to see you, my lord. It has been too long. This must be an important conversation for you to seek me out yourself, and here."
"And good to see you, as well, old friend. Let's go"
Outside Lanius gestured to his truck and the two got in. Privacy for the request Lanius had to make.
"I need a favor" started Lanius, "An official favor. Council work."
"Oh this is important" remarked Sarasoto "What kind of favor?" He raised the eyebrow now. Unknowingly mimicking the bartender earlier.
"There's trouble in San Francisco. There's a surge of new vampires and they are being careless. They've been spotted and they aren't doing a stellar job disposing of their kills. I need you and Balor to go there and investigate. Investigate only."
"No, no, not Balor! Why? He's such a little geek and he never wants to do anything but collate and sort everything."
"I'm aware of both of your styles and that's exactly why I'm sending him with you. I need you to find out what's going on but don't do anything rash. Just report back to me your findings and we will make decisions about what to do. I've already spoken with Balor. Meet him here tomorrow morning." He handed Sarasoto a scrap of paper with an address on it.
Sarasoto took a moment before moving but then accepted the scrap of paper from Lanius.
"For you, my lord, I will do as you ask and I won't do anything stupid."
"Excellent" Lanius smiled "You have thirty days and then return to me whether you figure it out or not. Learn that address and destroy the note. Be careful, my friend, I have a bad feeling about this situation. Nothing that I can verbalize but my senses tingle when I ponder it."